So...What Have You Been Up To?

Rather than hibernate completely this winter (again) I decided to get out of the house at least a couple of times every week. So far, I've been able to get out and do something worthwhile three or more times every week and I'm having a lot of fun.

Since we moved my MIL into an assisted living facility a little over a year ago, I've noticed that several of the residents always seemed lonely and just didn't know what to do with themselves. I thought I might try to make a difference by spending more time over there during the week. Every Tuesday I get some other women in the area to meet me there and we help residents play Yahtzee. Everyone knows how to roll the dice and we don't play "for keeps" (at least most of us don't play Killer Yahtzee!) so we laugh a lot and talk a lot and , of course, we have coffee/tea and something home baked while we're at it. On Saturdays we play BINGO. Everyone wins two prizes (fruit or candy) and, of course, we have an ice cream treat afterward.

My favorite activity is when I can help some of the residents create something beautiful. We started out with some simple magazine collages. Here are some pictures of the latest project we did just prior to Valentine's Day.



I think they did a GREAT job! Most importantly, we had FUN. Two of the ladies had so much fun that they worked together until 9:30 PM - which is pretty late for them to be so bright-eyed. I think we'll make some necklaces next!



Edna and Melba - up late and working on a free-form collage.


If you're looking for something worthwhile and rewarding to do, check out your local nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Volunteering to do ANYTHING at all there will be most appreciated! Bake cookies with the ladies, read to someone who is blind or nearly so, help residents with jig saw puzzles or simple word search puzzles, take a walk with someone, bring your pet to visit - the possibilities are endless. You won't be sorry you did!